Plea for change as "coward punch" victim farewelled

THE parents of king hit victim Daniel Christie have honoured their son at a Sydney funeral and called for his death to mark real change in the attitude of his generation and the laws surrounding violent offences.

Mourners packed the Hillsong Convention Centre on Friday to farewell the "generous courageous and determined" 18-year-old who died in hospital after being king hit near the same Kings Cross street corner where Thomas Kelly was attacked.

The term king-hit is now being widely replaced by "coward punch" in response to a plea for Daniel's parents after the shocking assault

Daniel's mother Maureen described her son as being "solid as a rock and tender as a lamb".

She told of his love for cooking -a skill she joked, he was better at than her.

"Whichever way his direction and life may have taken him, he would have applied himself and succeeded and been smart enough to find personal success," Ms Christie said

"I am so pleased Daniel had the opportunity to work with his brother Peter - to be up early heading off to work heading of to work together as brothers, mates and colleagues."

A teary, reminiscent tribute by Daniel's father, Michael, ended with a rousing speech, sure to be heard by those currently forming the new one punch legislation in NSW Parliament House.

He said it was up to elected members to set guidelines which would "stop this insanity in the name of all those had died a violent death of have been injured by these acts".

Many of the young people in the crowd had kept a vigil at Daniel's hospital bedside.

Said if they were representative of Daniel's generation, change would take place and "behaviours like this seen over the last 10 years ... culminating in so much tragedy and sorrow, will be a thing of the past".

"Please make it happen young people - you are our hope," said

"Go in peace and remember - if change is to be, it's up to each and every one of us."

A private cremation and wake was held after the service.

Speaking to reporters outside the service Governor General Quentin Bryce expressed the country's sympathies to

Daniel's family and said gratuitous violence was "unacceptable and un-Australian".
Shaun McNeill, the man accused of killing Daniel, is currently before the courts charged with his murder.

A new framework for one punch sentencing is expected to be introduced to NSW Parliament in March.